Beautiful
by Nerdmom1701
Summary: When the team starts to get older and change their appearance, Allura wonders what that will mean for her. What does it mean to be "beautiful" anyway? And is it as good as it's cracked up to be?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**Hello everyone! This is my first official foray into online based publishing. My initial work was going to be another story altogether, but the fantastic authors in the Voltron universe have inspired me so much, that this will be my first one published! A shout out to some of my inspirations: Aryea, Paulina Ann, KathDMD, Mylari, Cpt. Kallan Beyda, AlluraBlue4, Limetwist and of course, CubbieBlueMako. I hope I don't embarrass you with this.

This takes place between DotU and VF. It's my take on explaining how the characters features change a little from one to the other. There is lots of poetic license taken, but there is some science to make this plausible in the future.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron, just my imagination.

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><p>Allura entered her quarters, letting the door slide closed behind her, before slumping against the doorframe. It had been a very long day. Hell, it had been a long week. Keying the lock code to keep out the myriad of attendants who seemed to just come and go these days, she shrugged out of her flight suit and lingerie and put them in the chute to be laundered. Pulling a robe behind her, she went to the bathroom to start up her shower, wishing that the week's events would just slide off of her the way the dirt and sweat did.<p>

Allura snorted a little at the thought. Nanny would no doubt correct her that a princess did _not_ sweat, but merely glowed, and she did not get dirty, just… needed to freshen up a little. She probably didn't swear either, but that had not stopped her from doing so just a few moments ago.

Stepping into the water, Allura let the water flow over her head, slicking it against her scalp. Grabbing the shampoo, she started methodically washing the long tresses carefully, trying to avoid unnecessary tangles. After finishing the task, she allowed herself to relax with the water, letting her mind wander to the reason for her rather foul mood as of late. She sighed. It really was her fault that this had all started to begin with.

Allura's eyes had started to change colour.

As strange as it sounded to outsiders, this was not an unusual occurrence on Arus. The twin suns had an unusual effect on human DNA, making slight changes to the epigenome in adults after a number of years. Fortunately, the changes were often of a benign nature - recessive genes would express themselves and dominant ones fade for a time. These changes would often be minor in nature, such as hair colour and texture, nail thickness, slight variations in skin tone - and the one that was currently affecting her now - eye colour.

In the past few months, Allura had noticed that the blueness in her eyes had started to change slightly, but hadn't thought that much about it. Gene Change, as it was generally called, was common enough and many thought of it as a sign of a person's growing maturity. Most young people welcomed the changes as a sign that they were now fully adult members of society. Allura, for her part, had been happy to use the changes as an excuse to renovate her wardrobe somewhat, and get a more current and adult, sophisticated look.

It shouldn't have been a surprise, but she couldn't help but be a little shocked when she had looked in the mirror yesterday morning and had seen a pair of vivid green eyes staring back at her. She had actually stood there and stared at her reflection for ten minutes before snapping out of it and running to the control room so she wouldn't be late for Lion practice. She had kept her eyes down all through the briefing and the practice had been a washout – she had made so many errors that Keith had to snap at her to pay attention. Instead of staying to face the music afterward, she had slipped out of the after-practice meeting and gone back to her room to evaluate the changes more objectively.

At first glance, she hadn't changed all that much. Her face sort of looked a little thinner, but that would happen as she aged anyway so no real surprise there. Her voice sounded a little deeper to her, but she couldn't really be sure about that. Her hair colour appeared to be a little more golden, but the real change there, was that it went from being quite curly to almost completely straight. That actually made her a little excited, as her hair before was a real pain to get into her flight helmet and it had to be styled daily in order for it not to appear as a flyaway mop. Hair that went in one direction when it was loose would be a nice change.

No, the thing that was the most drastic was the emerald green colour of her eyes, and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. They seemed to dominate her face. She had never considered herself vain, but looking at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious. It looked like another person was staring back at her; that she wasn't really herself anymore.

It was in that moment of weakness that Nanny had chosen to make her entrance into her outer room. One look at her face had made Nanny drop her towels and sheets in a pile to run over and enthusiastically hug Allura. She had cried on Allura's shoulder that she had "made the change" and how she looked so grown up and queen-like. Nanny went on for a few more minutes until she realized that Allura was not joining in the discussion and asked her charge what was wrong. Allura had shrugged and pursed her lips in thought. She didn't quite know what to say. It was all so new; how do you tell someone that you don't know who you are when you look in the mirror? That you're not sure that you are the same person as the one who went to bed last night?

"Nanny, do you think I'm…" What... me?... real?… the same? "Pretty?" She finished lamely instead.

Nanny beamed at her. "Ach, yes, my child, you look beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! Why? Are you not splendidly pleased by the results?"

Allura shrugged again and tried to think of an excuse for not being completely thrilled, as Nanny seemed to want her to be. "I guess I'm just thinking of the boys. They're going to tease me terribly over the new look. None of them have changed nearly so much." It was true that the gene change had not overlooked even the members of the Voltron team, but their changes had been much more subtle. Most of them had their eye colour change, but only by subtle variations. The same could be said for their hair as well.

Pidge was the only one whose eyes had changed like hers and his face had thinned down a little, but that effect was subtle. As a result of his Baltan physiology, the man had done some significant growing and filling out in the past few years and that had changed his look much more than any Gene Change could ever do.

Keith had changed even less than the rest. His eyes were still a coal black to match his thick hair. His face and physique had changed subtly; his face had a more chiselled look and his body had become even more lean and defined, if that was possible. He had been working out more, though, so maybe his even more gorgeous face and god-like body were the result of his hard work, she thought dreamily.

Allura brought herself up firmly at the errant thought. Her feelings for the Commander notwithstanding, it was inappropriate to be thinking about him that way with Nanny staring at her that closely. That was _not_ a conversation she wanted to have.

"Those ruffians had better not be saying anything to you that is not appropriate to be saying to the royal ruler of Arus! I will tolerate no disrespect - in this or anything else, related to your person. I will not have your looks or conduct besmirched by that band of low-brow hooligans …"

"Nanny! They are my friends and our planet's saviours, and I won't have them besmirched in my presence either! I'm also a big girl and I think that I can handle a little ribbing by the boys if it helps with morale and team unity. I shouldn't have even brought it up. Please don't involve the boys in this."

Nanny didn't answer but just started fussing with her hair and collar, which in retrospect, should have been her first clue that the subject hadn't really been dropped at all.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hope you enjoyed chapter 1. On to the next one! This chapter is dedicated to Sunshineleo because she is also one of my K/A gurus and, like an idiot, I didn't give her well-deserved props in Chapter 1 with the rest! Mea Culpa.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Voltron, just my imagination

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><p>Her first real clue came the next morning, when one of her ladies-in-waiting had come to help tidy the rooms. She had remarked on how lovely the princess looked this morning in her flight suit. Allura had been a little thrown by the compliment, but had thanked her and left the room to go to have breakfast with the team before lion practice. Her suspicions ratcheted up a notch when three members of the castle staff commented to her on her appearance as she passed by them.<p>

By the time she met the team in the dining room, her anger and embarrassment were in full swing as Coran himself stopped her at the entrance to the dining room to remark on how beautiful she was and how lucky the people of Arus were to have such a lovely young woman on the throne. The fact that Coran almost never joined them for breakfast in the morning, told her that he had made the effort to come and find her there this morning. To compliment her on her looks!

Gods, did everyone believe that she was really that shallow? What the hell was Nanny telling everyone? That was supposed to be a private conversation, or so she thought. She never should have brought up her looks as the reason for her ambivalence. Obviously Nanny didn't believe that her self-esteem could handle the blow of an eye colour change without the complete, and total support of the whole castle staff!

She had thought that, after all this time, people didn't just think of her as another pretty princess – that she was more than her station and appearance. She wasn't sure if she should be angry or humiliated.

Allura took a deep breath and thanked Coran politely, through clenched teeth, before entering the dining room. She was now looking _forward_ to seeing the boys and having them tease her about the new colour. At least _they_ wouldn't treat her like a frail, delicate personality. Maybe they would tell her that she should be flying green lion from now on. She was trying to come up with an appropriate comeback for that when she went through the door and came upon three very handsome members of the Voltron force, standing at attention in a line and each holding a bouquet of flowers - smiles plastered over their faces. Allura groaned and brought her hand up to her face, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "Oh no boys, not you too!"

Pidge smiled nervously at what he thought was their obviously distraught teammate and handed her the flowers he had picked from the garden that morning. "Hiya Princess! Nanny said that you might be feeling a little low, so we decided to pick you some flowers and let you know that we all understand how you feel – we've all been in the same boat as you. We just wanted you to know that you're still the same to us, and we still think you're gorgeous."

Allura let out a little undignified snort and dropped her hand to smile tiredly. Pidge, Hunk and Lance looked nervous and uncomfortable at her reaction to the gift that Nanny had insisted they bring to the Princess. They knew that she had been distracted yesterday, but they had been game to help the Princess when Nanny had come in yesterday afternoon and demanded that the men show a gesture of support to her about her new "maturity".

They had all agreed afterwards that, while Nanny could be really off her rocker sometimes, it didn't hurt to show Allura a little support, especially if she was feeling a little self-conscious. She was like a sister to the three of them, and if she needed cheering up, well then they were up to the task.

"Thanks, boys. I know that your hearts are in the right place, and I appreciate it. This whole situation has gotten way out of hand. The verbal PDA's are starting to get embarrassing and I just want to put it all behind me." She gestured to them and brought them into a big group hug.

"That's great Princess, and I really do like your eye colour. It matches mine now. But don't get any ideas about taking Green Lion away from me so that you match." Pidge teased her.

Allura smiled smugly as everyone sat down to breakfast. "No chance of that, Pidge. I have no desire to be Voltron's left hand. I have no idea where it's been."

Lance coughed and spit out a little of his juice at the remark. Hunk hit him on the back to help him recover and it caused him to rock in his chair and cough a little more until he could get his breath back. He looked at her with a devilish grin and did a slow clap in appreciation "Very good, Princess. You have definitely been hanging out with me for too long."

"Speaking of hanging out, where is Keith this morning? Is he not coming to breakfast?" Allura had been a little nervous about seeing Keith this morning after her poor performance yesterday and then bailing on them afterwards. The rest of the team didn't seem to be too worried, but really, it wasn't their tail that Keith would chew out if she dropped the ball. She didn't think he would say anything to her in front of everyone, but she had expected a call to his office yesterday afternoon or even a detention of sorts, for the sloppy work at practice.

Allura was annoyed at herself now, for allowing her distractions to interfere with her performance with the team. Keith would be entirely justified in tearing a strip off of her. She'd take it willingly, but she still wondered about his absence. Was he _that_ annoyed at her that he would miss breakfast rather than be in the same room with her? Well, if he had heard Nanny yesterday, he might just be appalled at her "little girl" antics. She could definitely understand if he was too embarrassed to lower himself to indulge her juvenile behaviour.

Hunk shrugged as he shoved some eggs into his mouth and chewed for a moment to clear it. "I saw him before we got here. He said that he would be late, that he had some things to take care of first, so not to wait for him. He's been taking a little longer to get ready recently, but this is late, even for him. I guess we'll be having our practice briefing in the control room."

Allura was brought out of her musings when the klaxon sounded throughout the castle. The four of them immediately dropped their utensils and headed for the control room to find out what the emergency was and if they would need the Lions and Voltron. The room was deserted except for Coran at the castle controls. The lifts were already open and ready for the team to go to their lions.

"There you all are. Keith is already in Black Lion and is awaiting the other lions to join him. Lotor's command ship has entered Arusian air space and there looks like a robeast coffin is with him. We need you to stop Lotor before he causes more destruction to the villages around here."

"And tries to make off with the Princess yet again." Lance muttered disgustedly. "All right all you beautiful people, let's join Keith and kick some robeast butt!"

Allura and Blue Lion were out of the lake and thundering off to the homing beacon from Black when the off hand remark from Lance sat in her brain for a few moments. She knew that Lance had meant it as a joke, but she knew the "beautiful people" crack had been a reference to her. It made her wonder just how much of Lotor's disgusting obsession with her had to do with possessing Arus, and how much was just based his attraction to her looks? Would he be this determined to capture her if she were old and plain looking? Or ugly? Somehow she doubted it. He'd probably just want to kill her instead. Based on what she knew about Lotor and his habits, that would be her preference as well.

Allura could feel the others running beside her in formation when they reached Black Lion and saw him dodging in and out of laser fire, firing his own missiles at various spots on the hull, looking for a weak spot. He quickly retreated when they came in range and hailed them on their communicators.

"Glad to see that you all could make it." Keith said dryly. " Let's kick their butts back to Doom guys!" Keith opened a private channel to Blue Lion. "Princess, are you doing ok?"

Allura blinked at the concern in her commander's voice, especially since she didn't feel that she deserved it. "Yes, Commander. I'm good to go."

Keith brought the open channel back online and he proceeded to call out their attack formations.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** Hello again and thanks for all the great reviews! As i'm writing about something that we all know the end result of, all the guessing about the plot is keeping me thoroughly entertained. All will be revealed! lol Sorry that this chapter is so short, but it didn't flow well with chapters 2 or 4 so it's on it's own. I'll update the next one quicker to make up for it. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron, just my imagination!

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><p>Allura sighed as she turned off the water and exited the shower. The water had helped her sore muscles but hadn't done much for her state of mind. The latest attack had been brutal and had sent two of them to the infirmary, fortunately with only relatively minor injuries. Green had been pinned under the foot of the robeast, getting squeezed by the grinding pressure when Lotor's voice had broken through the COM channel and made his usual demand – surrender herself to him and he'd let the lion survive.<p>

"Go home, Lotor" She had said in the derisive tone that she had cultivated for speaking to the Prince of Doom. "Get a new hobby, or something!"

"Ah, but my Princess" he purred in his haughty tone, "the only hobby I want is making beautiful children with you."

As Allura had fought her gag reflex, Black Lion had let out a vicious growl in response and attacked the robeast head on, knocking it off balance. Green had been able to get free, but Black had been hooked by the robeast's claws and thrown against a rock formation and landed badly. Allura had spent many anxious seconds engaged in the battle, but listening for Keith's eventual response to her requests for him to report his status. Her relief was short-lived as she realized both Keith and Pidge were probably injured and would need help if the battle went on too much longer. Keith seemed to have had enough as well, as the order to form Voltron was given.

An hour later, everything had been heading back to normal. The robeast had been dispatched and Lotor had run home to Doom, his tail between his legs once again. The Lions had disassembled to go to their normal resting places, with the exception of Green and Black, who were brought into the castle to have repairs done, and to get the pilots out and into the infirmary.

Allura had flown back to the castle like a woman possessed, seething in guilt and anger. Once again, it was brought home that she and her people were being singled out because of one madman's obsession with her. He also seemed to love to hurt the ones she cared most about. _The one she loved._ Allura had slammed her hands down on the chair console in frustration. Why couldn't the Gene Change have made her ugly? Wouldn't that have made her life just infinitely easier? Seeing her looking like Haggar might have been enough for Lotor to stay away from them for good. It might have also stopped people from treating her like some precious glass statue. She knew she was being irrational, but she was way past caring at the moment. She pulled off her helmet as soon as Blue settled onto his pad and rubbed the console in silent apology to the lion for her outburst. She then had quickly left her lion to go and see Pidge and Keith and see if they were ok.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N- **Yes, that's right, two in one day. Ta Dah! I'm going away for the weekend, so I'm not sure of the wifi status. If it's good, you'll get another update this weekend. If not, late Tuesday at the earliest :-( (Wed afternoon for you folks in Oz). This is a longer chapter but a little bit of a cliffhanger, so don't freak out. You 're about half way there, so stay tuned! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Voltron, just my imagination.

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><p>As the lion closest to the castle, she had got to the hanger before the rest and saw them putting Pidge on the stretcher. There was a stretcher for Keith there as well, but he had shaken his head, and was following Pidge down the hallway to the infirmary on foot, cradling his arm as he went. At her arrival, he paused and held up his other hand to stop her from getting too close to him.<p>

"I'm all right, Allura. I think my arm is just broken. Pidge seems ok too, but his side was hurting so they're taking him on the stretcher, just to be safe. I'll see all of you when I get done." His eyes had looked tired, the whites of them pink and slightly bloodshot. He looked like he wanted to say more, but then he had shut his mouth and turned to follow the stretcher again, leaving her alone in the hanger, not having said one word to him about her concern. Maybe he was really fed up with her, she had thought, fighting to stop tears from running down her face. Allura then headed for the infirmary waiting room to wait for Dr. Gorma's official diagnosis before heading to her quarters for a shower.

Down the hall, she was peppered with unusually effusive congratulations for the robeast defeat by passing members of the castle staff, all studiously avoiding to look her in the eyes, or looking there too long before breaking off abruptly to continue with their duties. Her annoyance had started to come back again, which helped her get rid of any remaining teariness before she walked into the infirmary waiting area. Hunk and Lance were already there, but they didn't hear her come in as Dr. Gorma had just come in from the examination room and was ready to give his report.

"Both the Commander and Pidge were lucky today. The Commander has a broken ulna, but it was a clean break and the mobile fracture cast will have it repaired once we set the bone. Pidge has two cracked ribs from his adventures, so he'll be staying overnight here before I release him in the morning. Both men will need a good night's rest. That goes for the rest of you as well. Call me if you need anything."

"Thank you, Doctor." Allura said to him, when it had became evident that he was looking straight at her for confirmation. She had released the breath she seemed to hold whenever she came here to check on one of the team members. They came here far too frequently.

This place had always filled her with dread. It was inevitable that people died, especially in war, and the gods knew that they had all seen their fair share of death and destruction. While the Voltron force hadn't escaped injury – some of it severe – they had been incredibly lucky that none of them had died doing one of the most dangerous jobs there was on Arus. They had been more than lucky – they had been blessed, really.

Still, Allura was not naïve enough to think that it could never happen. Her prayer was always that none of her "boys" had to die defending her. Dying for Arus or each other was the only acceptable reason for something to happen to them, but not for her alone. She could never live with the guilt anymore. Looking back on the morning's battle, she wished a certain commander could be persuaded to understand her feelings on the matter. Part of the reason for his injuries was he had lost his cool when Lotor had taunted her for a reaction. Back when she had been younger, his heroism and protectiveness had been flattering. As time had passed, it became a source of worry for her. Since her eyes changed, and the castle had become her personal cheering section, it now was starting to piss her off. She knew that they all had a duty to her, but Keith's obsessiveness over her safety felt like another link in the chain designed to hold her back.

Lance's cheery voice had cut through her musings as he slapped and rubbed his hands together in apparent anticipation. "All right guys, the boys are going to be here for a while yet, why don't we go to the dining room and get an early dinner. Maybe I'll let you lose a card game to me afterwards before bed." The trash talk from Hunk was enough to have them both striding to the dining area, while Allura had trailed behind them, not particularly hungry but not really sure what else to do at the moment. She had paperwork and various royal edicts and decrees that needed to be read over and signed, but on days were she went into battle with Voltron, it was assumed that her royal duties would be put on hold until the next day. She hadn't really felt like going over paperwork at that moment, anyway.

Allura had decided to wait for Keith in the dining room with the boys to pass the time. The morning's good humour with the team had vanished from her with Pidge and Keith's injuries. She had pushed the food around her plate, barely nibbling, as the boys talked and laughed while they ate, not noticing the Princess's darkening mood. She knew that she should be laughing with the team, celebrating their win, but she couldn't help the gnawing feeling that she was, in part, responsible for the pilots' injuries. Logically, she knew the blame began and ended with Lotor, but would he be so persistent if she wasn't the object of his desire, correction, the "beautiful" object of his desire? She was really beginning to hate that word.

"Hey, Princess, are you ready for bed already? You've barely touched your food. Need some more of that beauty sleep, I guess." Lance had said with his usual amusing snark, standing up to get a deck of cards.

Allura had not been amused. "Lance, quit it. I've heard enough of that word."

"What, beauty? Aw, Princess, it could never be said to you enough." Hunk had said with his easy smile and sincere nature. On some level, she had known that Hunk was only being sweet, but at that moment, it had just served to rile her up more.

"No, it could, actually. I'm really tired of getting told that I'm the castle's resident pageant queen, when Keith and Pidge are sitting in the hospital wing, suffering with yet another injury, while that blue creep of a prince, dreams up another way to try to claim the face that holds no practical value whatsoever!" Allura's voice had started to rise with her rant and had increased by the end to an almost shrill, frantic, tone.

"Whoa, Princess. Settle down. Look, gorgeous, you know that Hunk…" Lance began in a soft, entreating tone only to be pushed back, violently by the Princess who was by now in a towering rage. Lance had fallen back with the force of the shove, and had landed heavily in the chair behind him. His eyes were wide with disbelief, his body frozen in shock.

"Don't EVER call me that again." She hoarsely whispered to Red's pilot, her hands fisted at her side. It had taken all her control to just shove him and not punch his arm or shoulder. She had wanted him to fight back, come at her so she could legitimately take a swing at someone to relieve her anger and anxiety. She knew that he wouldn't however. She could come at him all day, and he would block her attack, but he wouldn't fight her like this – in anger. None of them would. She was the Princess.

"Do you have _any_ idea how degrading that sounds? To know that the first words to describe you are a title, which is simply an inheritance of your birth, and then the next words used, describe what are arguably the most superficial features of a person's physical form? At least Lieutenant is a title you _earned_.

All my accomplishments are secondary to being a Princess - a status that I didn't even earn. Instead, they praise my _beauty_, as though it was a virtue. They say flattering words, meant to placate me so I tolerate the restrictions of my station. And, what's worse, people _die_ to keep me safe in it. And I'm supposed to be happy that everyone is so eager to protect me; that they're willing to break… that they're willing to keep me safe at the expense of themselves. Broken bones – no big deal, but heaven forbid that the princess doesn't like her green eyes! Sound the alarm! Let everyone fall over themselves now! Don't let her realize that she can't be what she wants, say what she wants … love who she wants."

Her voice had gotten quieter and more broken at the end. The room was silent except for her rapid breathing, which probably contrasted nicely with the men, who looked like they weren't breathing at all. Neither of them had moved a muscle from when she exploded and they seemed to be at a loss as to what to do so she didn't explode again. Shame filled her as she looked at her poor teammates. The team were the first and only ones who had really overlooked her title, and treated her like a real person – like a friend. She didn't deserve any of them.

"Well they can all go straight to hell. I'm done." She whispered, turning around and walking out the door. She had headed straight for her rooms and the shower.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N** Ok, so the wifi is a little sketchy, so I'll give it a try and hope it works! I'm so glad that everyone appreciated Allura's little rant. Just this chapter and the next, and we'll see things from Keith's point of view! This is a longer chapter, filled with Allura's musings, so hang in there, the story will progress faster after this. Thanks for all the great reviews! It's very inspiring.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Voltron, just my imagination

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><p>Now, sitting at her mirror like she had yesterday, she still didn't know what had just gotten into her. A big part of her had just snapped. She knew the pressure that was being put on her to pick a suitor and get married would only get worse now that the Gene Change had occurred. All of this fuss made everything just that much more real. Maybe she was just tired of the hypocrisy. They wanted her to have adult responsibilities but they insisted she be treated like a child at times. Of course, having a temper tantrum like a child probably didn't help, she thought wryly.<p>

And what had possessed her to talk about her love life, or lack thereof, as part of her rant? Gods, she had to be more careful or they might really start looking for a husband for her. Coran and Nanny still brought it up on occasion, but talk like that would just reinforce the fact that she was well over twenty-one now, and definitely of marriageable age. She had put them off for the past couple of years, but her reprieve was not permanent, and she would be an idiot to call attention to it now.

Allura picked up her brush and methodically started to brush her hair as it dried. The repetitive task was very calming and helped to relax the knot in her stomach. How did some minor changes suddenly become the conduit to an identity crisis? What was wrong with her? She had always chaffed a little at the restrictions that she had been forced, by necessity, to live under. Allura suddenly stopped brushing her hair, and eyed the long strand that was still captured by the bristles. Maybe, it was time to take back a bit more of her birthright. Maybe she couldn't wait anymore for permission to do what she wished. Maybe she shouldn't.

Allura got up and went to her wardrobe to look for something comfortable to wear. In the closet, her eyes rested on a new flight suit with features that Pidge had just recently designed for the team. At her request, the pink flight suit would soon be a thing of the past and would be replaced by the blue and black coloured design in front of her, which marked her as Blue Lion's pilot. The suit had been finished last week, but the team had decided to hold off wearing them until the new techwear, the Voltcoms, had finished their final testing next week. Allura fingered the soft, pliable material and pulled the suit from the hanger, deciding to wear it now and see how it felt to be on for more than the few minutes that she had worn it during the last fitting. She lobbed her hand brush over to the vanity to free both her hands, and winced when she heard the shatter of glass as the vanity mirror broke, the brush bouncing off the top and hitting the mirror straight on.

Allura surveyed the scene with dismay. It had been a freak occurrence, and certainly not done in anger, but she couldn't help but feel that it was an omen that the source of her reflection had just been shattered. Looking upwards, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before proceeding to put on the new flight suit.

The suit fit even better than she remembered. The boots moulded to her feet and sealed themselves to the fabric, forming a solid line of protection from the feet all the way up to the neck. She looked at her arms and legs, marvelling in the sleek, protective fabric that was water, cold and heat resistant. It also was able to allow the wearer to survive the vacuum of space and resist laser fire minimally, but she really wasn't eager to test that property at the moment.

Satisfied with her appearance, she strode over to the glass that littered the floor and started to gently pick up the pieces and put them into the trash. She yelped and stared at her hand when a piece of the glass that she had picked up sliced into her palm and started to make it bleed furiously, dripping on to the floor and carpet. She quickly dropped it and scanned for a piece of material to staunch the blood flow. Her towel from her recent shower was still on the bed, so she grabbed it and wrapped her hand tightly. The cut was starting to sting, and she realized that she would probably need to go and get it treated with a tissue regenerator.

Allura huffed in frustration. The treatment was quick and painless, but it would mean a trip to the infirmary, and running into Keith and/or Pidge while wearing her suit, not to mention seeing all the castle staff and their horrified reaction to their princess being hurt in any way.

Allura thought furiously for a moment, then a small smile spread over her face when she thought of the very place she could go that would have everything she needed and where she would be left alone, and even guarded to boot. Allura went into the washroom and carefully removed the towel and rinsed the wound gently under water to cleanse any tiny particles of glass out of the area. The tissue regenerator would do a final check for inorganics in the wound before it repaired the damage, but the water felt good on her skin, and removed some of the thickening blood off her hand.

After rewrapping it in the towel, Allura went to the door, and checked the outside cameras to see if anyone was in the hall. Satisfied, she quietly left her rooms and quickly went to the staircase that would take her to the lower levels. In the sub-basement, there was a hidden entrance to the tunnel that went to Blue Lion's platform on the lake bottom. Allura flew down the stairs to the concealed door in the wall, and slipped down the glass tunnel to Blue. Normally, someone's presence in the tunnels would trip a sensor alarm, but the suits were also designed to block body heat from registering as well, and she was counting on Pidge not having had time to compensate for that in the sensors.

In only a few moments, she came to the elevator that would take her into her lion. The elevator door opened for her without her even having to summon it. As her pilot, Blue welcomed Allura with no reservations or challenges into her control centre. Allura smiled at the feeling of welcome she got from the lion. She wasn't sure why, but she got a very female vibe off of Blue. It made no sense, but then, maybe the vibe was more of a reflection of the pilot rather than the lion. Blue seemed to like it when she referred to her as "she", so Allura had continued to refer to her in the feminine ever since their bonding.

"Hey girl, how are you?" She whispered, stroking the control panel gently, and feeling the lion hum a little in response. "Don't worry, I'm only here to think, and to use the tissue regen unit for a few moments. Go back to sleep." Blue seemed to take her advice and her external power systems shut down again, leaving only power and heat in the control capsule. Allura slid down into the pilot's seat and pulled out a small handheld device from the right side of her cockpit. The tissue regen unit in the lions was simple and more of a first aid measure, to keep cuts and bruises from bleeding and interfering with battle performance. Even a small cut on the forehead or eyebrow could bleed profusely into your eyesight and make you vulnerable. It was not as powerful or fast as the one in the infirmary, but it was more than good enough for her purposes.

Allura removed the towel again, and ran the decontamination cycle on the machine, holding it over the cut, which still continued to ooze blood. After a few seconds to ensure no glass or bacteria were in the area, the device started to slowly encourage cell division in the dermis, allowing a base of new skin cells to close the wound before her eyes.

Allura sighed in relief, as the machine automatically turned off, her hand as good as new. She flexed her newly healed palm a few times to check for any residual problems, but was satisfied when it moved fully and without pain.

As she replaced the unit, Allura relaxed back into her pilot seat and closed her eyes in contemplation.

Being able to look after her self, even in little things like repairing her hand, felt good. She felt confident and strong enough to look after herself if the need arose, without a contingent of courtiers around her, shadowing her every step. More importantly, it gave her the confidence to look after others; to help them find the best course of action to do what was necessary to provide for themselves – to lead them. Most of Allura's core philosophy centered on that belief – lead through service. Allura loved flying Blue, but her greatest satisfaction came from the help and protection she gave to her people. Voltron was her family's greatest legacy, but it had always been for the protection of all of Arus, not just a certain country or family. She truly loved her people, and the people responded in kind, always showing support and courage, even when it seemed that the war wouldn't end – support for her and the other pilots of Voltron.

Allura brows tightened at the thought of her teammates. It seemed essential to her that in order to get to the next step in her life, she would have to take an even more active roll in her duties as monarch of her planet. She wasn't sure how that would intersect with her role on the team, however. Allura didn't want to give up being with Blue and the rest of the team. They were at war, and she was still needed.

There was something else to consider. Since the boys had come to activate Voltron and defend them, the Lions had made it clear in the years since that just because someone_ could_ fly them, it didn't mean that the pilot would be _allowed_ to fly them. The lions themselves had the ultimate say in who was allowed to be with them. As it turned out, they seemed to be extremely picky as well. Sven had piloted Blue in the beginning, but he was the first to admit that he never shared the same bond with Blue that Allura did. He also found he had to concentrate hard to pilot the lion properly, where the others had found the process almost effortless. Allura had no illusions that she held the same skill level as the others, but everyone had been amazed at how well she had taken to piloting the very complicated mecha. In the intervening years, she had become a fine pilot, but Blue was special, and she was much better with her than just any ship.

Allura's lips thinned into a fine line. She would not sacrifice flying Blue for the sake of her throne. The council would just have to adjust to their princess being a more active ruler as well as their protector. As long as Blue didn't want anybody else, she was her pilot. Allura grinned as she felt Blue rumble in response to her thoughts through their bond.

There was only one other problem that would have to be battled with the council. For some time, Allura had been aware of the fact that she would never be able to marry a prince. Even the word brought connotations of Lotor to mind and that was enough to turn her off. The other reason was more private in nature. Allura couldn't marry a prince because she was in love with the Commander of Voltron – she was in love with Keith.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N-** Another bit of musings by the Princess. Next chapter deals with Keith's POV, so we'll find out what he's been up to a little bit. Thanks for sticking with it! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Voltron, just my imagination.

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><p>Allura couldn't marry a prince because she was in love with the Commander of Voltron – she was in love with Keith.<p>

Just admitting the words in her head filled her with stress. She knew her own mind well enough to know that her feelings for Keith were based on years of knowing the man he was; his capacity for limitless loyalty and strength of purpose. She knew that behind the strong, and sometimes cold exterior, there was a man who felt things very deeply; who had a need to protect and take care of what he felt was his and his responsibility. That was the one thing that Allura wasn't sure of – was she his responsibility only, or was she his?

She went back and fourth on that, depending on what she saw in him, and what he said when his guard was down. She had come to the conclusion that he did feel something for her, but she wasn't sure if he may of felt that way against his will. After all, people often like people who are bad for them, and they have to fight the attraction in order to keep their heart from getting broken.

She could understand if Keith didn't _want _to have any feelings for her at all. Her life was hardly carefree, and she had that blue, Prince Asshole always trying to take her to Doom. She had even slacked off as of late, not giving her full attention to lion practice, which could cause someone to lose their their life if she screwed up. She was not acting like the levelheaded person she was supposed to be. In the last year, the Gene Change had affected everyone on the team in some way, but she was the only one who seemed to be having an identity crisis over it.

Maybe the two things were related. Could she be worried about her appearance, because he might not find her as attractive as before? Small alarm bells went off inside her gut, letting her know that it might be close to the truth. Allura let out a groan and slumped forward, covering her face with her hands. Oh, gods, she was pathetic. She couldn't just ask him what he thought of her looks, he would just give her the same old platitudes that everyone else did. He could also become incredibly embarrassed that he had to answer the "Do you think I'm pretty?" question. Allura sighed. It was such a turn off when people were so needy, that they required external validation for their self-worth. Her pride couldn't handle sinking to that level.

She also wasn't the innocent, naïve princess that she had been when they met over four years ago. She had been barely seventeen then, and had been incredibly sheltered and innocent, despite all she had seen and endured in the caves after the attacks started. That combination had to have kicked his protective instincts into high gear. What man didn't love a damsel in distress?

She wondered if the whole thing had gotten a bit old for him, though. I mean, how many times do you save the damsel before you start to think, enough already! She also wondered about how he really felt about her being on the team. In the beginning, he had been really supportive and happy that she had taken the initiative to try to help the Voltron team by flying Blue when Sven had been injured. After all, the rest of the team would still try to protect Arus, with or without Voltron, but the chances of defeat would have been very high if only four lions fought. Her position had been cemented when it was seen how Blue had responded to her. Still, she wondered now, how did having her on the team hinder him, as he always had to keep her in the back of his thoughts – to make sure she didn't accidentally die in a rogue robeast attack.

She knew all the men were there for her, as she was for them, but Keith seemed to be more protective of her than the rest of the team. At least it felt that way. Which brought her back to the original question in her mind – was she his responsibility or was she his?

She knew that she would have to find that out from him, despite how embarrassing that conversation was bound to be. Their little flirty dance wasn't working for her anymore, and she had to know where he stood. Did he want to be with her on a more personal level or was he only interested in the job and friendship?

Was she really interested in getting a definitive answer? Could she handle an outright rejection of her feelings for him? Allura sobered and leaned back in the chair, considering. A rejection, assuming that it was genuine and sincere, would hurt her horribly, that much was certain. There was no sense in sugar coating that fact. Maybe it would help her to move on, however, if she knew he would never return her affections. Ok, so that probably wouldn't happen, but at least it would help her to try. If he truly needed her to, she would let him go, despite what it would do to her heart.

She would have to be certain of his motivations, however. If he felt anything for her at all, then she wanted him to realize that she was committed to seeing where it would take them, without external pressures trying to pull them apart. If he were denying himself for her sake, then she would never give him up. He could stay away from her all he liked, but she would always be right there beside him, the second she was wanted or needed. He would have to move off planet to get away from her, assuming she didn't follow him there too, she thought with a snort. She knew that it wouldn't come to that, however. He was Black's pilot, and he was very attached to Arus and its people. He would never leave them willingly. They were his.

Allura sat up at Blue's rumble. Some power circuits activated to the back of the control area and the elevator started its cycle. Someone was riding up into Blue, and Blue had allowed it without challenge. Allura leaned over and pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger, closing her eyes in amused frustration. "Busted" she murmured, straightening up to receive the visitor at her door.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N** - Ok, well enough with Allura for a couple of chapters. Now we finally move forward with the story and we follow Keith for a bit! No real musings for him right now, just bringing him up to speed with what's been going on. Thanks for sticking with it! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Voltron, just my imagination.

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><p>Keith left the medical wing about two hours after Dr. Gorma had went to report to the team about his and Pidge's condition. Setting his ulna had been painful, but Keith had endured much worse in recent history, so he didn't really think too much of it. After an hour under the bone calcifier in the med centre, Keith was fitted with a ten centimetre portable unit that surrounded the broken section, given a shot of calcifying agents, and told to come back tomorrow morning to remove the electronic cast.<p>

Keith had then popped in to see Pidge, who was lying on his side, as the same larger unit ran against his ribs. Keith handed Pidge a data pad and sat with him a moment, checking for himself that his teammate was okay. There was no such thing as a portable unit for ribs, so Pidge was stuck here until the morning before he would be free to go. Pidge had been in good spirits, if a little bored, when Keith walked in, but had perked right up when he had been handed the pad. Keith left his friend pretty quickly after that. Pidge worked best when he was alone and Keith sometimes had problems following the young genius's thought processes even when he wasn't in the zone, so to speak.

A quick check of his locator device found Lance and Hunk in the dining room, so he decided to go there and check in on the team. He hadn't eaten much all day, so he thought he might be able to catch a quick bite with them all before heading off to bed. He also wanted a word with Allura, privately if he could, so hopefully he might catch her there before she retired as well.

Keith wasn't sure what he was expecting when he walked into the dining room, but it wasn't what greeted him when he arrived there. The normally busy, boisterous room was almost silent, except for the two men in question he had been looking for. Both of them had been glancing at the ground when he had entered, but their eyes had snapped up and their bodies tensed when he came in, before they had even realized that it was him. Their reaction was enough to put him on alert, quickly scanning the room for threats, before settling back on the men and asking what the problem was. Lance and Hunk glanced at each other for a moment, then Lance sighed and looked at Keith in the eye. "Keith, it's Allura. We may have a problem."

Keith's head snapped up at the mention of Allura's name. His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean problem? Where's Allura? What's happened?" He snapped the questions off in rapid succession, each one a little faster and stronger than the last. Lance had Keith's full attention and he quickly organized his answers to calm his commander down. Keith would be in full protector mode in a minute and he would expect all the information in front of him.

Cursing his turn of phrase, Lance held his hands up in a placating manner. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded. We're all okay. Hunk and I just had a run in with the Princess, and I think we tipped her over the edge, but for the life of me, I don't know what I said or did to set her off like that. She actually pushed me, Keith!"

Keith's eyes widened slightly at Lance's narrative. Lance didn't generally get the Princess riled up at all. He usually saved his button pushing for his commander, and sometimes the other members of the team. Judging the look on Lance and Hunk's faces, neither man had wilfully said anything to warrant a dressing down by the planet's monarch.

Keith's lips set in a fine line as he regarded his teammates for a moment then walked to the video screen beside the door. "Let's see what happened on the vid recordings in the last two hours. Maybe we can get a clue as to what set her off." Keith's hand flew over the keys, pulling up the video from only a couple of hours previous. Lance and Hunk crowded in close to watch the display on either side of the commander. Keith looked pointedly at Lance. "If I find anything on this vid that shows that either of you behaved inappropriately to the Princess, neither of you will see daylight on your patrol shifts for the next three months."

Lance groaned slightly and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "Believe me, if I knew what I did, I'd take the punishment gladly. I just don't know what made her so super pissed at me all of a sudden – at both of us." Keith started to respond when he cut himself off, as the parties in question walked onto the screen and headed to the dining table. Keith watched the whole exchange play out again on the video feed. He stood silently through the whole rant, and didn't move, even when the Princess moved off screen, leaving the dining area and heading in the direction of her quarters before the doors cut off the visual of her retreating form. His breath had hitched slightly at the end of her rant, but otherwise he gave no reaction to the entire video, simply staring at the now blank screen.

Lance shifted uncomfortably beside his commander. "Ok, well… that was… that." He gestured to the screen. Watching it again, from the safety of the video, he had been able to pick up a lot more of the underlying message the Princess was giving off, and he wondered about his friend's reaction to it.

Keith said nothing. His stance was still alert but his eyes had wandered downwards, seemingly lost in thought; weighing his options.

"Keith." Lance said softly, touching his shoulder to get his attention. "Now might be the right time to go after her and talk." He had known his commander for a lot of years and was able to read him on most things. Though Keith never came right out and said it, Lance knew that his feelings for Allura were more than just strictly professional in nature. They sure as hell weren't brotherly in nature either. Lance had tried to broach the subject with Keith before, but had been told, in no uncertain terms, that it was none of his business.

He acknowledged that, and didn't press the subject often. He _could_ see the toll that was being paid by his friend for his silence and restraint, however, especially since things didn't seem to change for him as the years went on. He shouldn't have been surprised, though. When Keith Kogane made up his mind about something – or someone – it took a lot to change his opinion or his loyalty. He would stay the course and be there to see it through, even if he had to suffer in silence.

"The rules of battle may have changed, man. Go and find out if it works in your favour." Keith looked sharply at Lance, but only saw concern for him from his friend.

Keith took a deep breath and nodded. "I need to talk to her. It seems she's having a rougher time than we thought with the Gene Change. Maybe a friend is just what she needs – to see that Pidge and me are ok, that we all support her and are behind her."

Lance looked at him in stunned silence. "Keith, you are my Commander and my best friend, but you are a freakin' moron if you don't take this opportunity. She is looking for more than just a friend. You may never have another chance, and I'm not above kicking your ass if you let it pass you by." He grabbed one of the bouquets that had been put on the table from their breakfast that morning and shoved it into the Commander's hands. "Now go and get her, and don't come back until it's resolved. We need _both_ of you in your right minds."

Without another word, he spun Keith towards the door, and proceeded to shove him through, almost knocking him off balance as he all but threw him out of the dining hall and into the hallway. Lance then went and locked the door, in case Keith wanted to come back in and exact some payback. He turned and smiled at the open mouthed look of shock that was on Hunk's face at the exchange he had just witnessed. "Sometimes people need a little shove to get them where they need to go." He shrugged, and sat down in one of the chairs, put his feet up and silently hoped that by tonight he would be forgiven by both of his friends.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N-** To the guest reviewer: Your wish is my command. I'm glad you like my little fic. You should check out some of my gurus, located in the notes of the first and second chapters!

This is my favourite chapter, I think. I had the most fun writing it. It also went through the fewest edits, as well. A little more of Keith's POV. This chapter is dedicated to Kathy T, my kids' Godmother, and the best MOA EVER, who read my one shot and said she liked it, even though she has no clue what Voltron is whatsoever! Lol. Hope everyone likes it. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Voltron, just my imagination.

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><p>Keith recovered his footing in time to not hit the wall on the opposite side of the door. He had instinctively cradled the flowers to his chest and twisted awkwardly to avoid using his still healing arm for support. He had automatically turned to go back into the room to kick Lance's ass, but heard the lock engage and stopped himself. He could override the lock and get in anyway, but it wouldn't really accomplish anything. In his own irritating way, Lance was right about Allura. This might be the time to talk to her about a great many things. Keith sighed and grasped the flowers tighter as he strode purposefully to the Princess's quarters. He felt a bit like he was going into battle, only this time he felt woefully unprepared for what he wanted to say.<p>

How do you tell someone that you've loved her from practically the first time you met her? How do you say that she makes you happy just being around her? And how, for the love of everything, do you tell her, without being melodramatic, that her safety and happiness means more to you than your own life?

When that person is seventeen, and the Princess, you don't. The decision back then had been easy. He was here to do a job – the biggest one of his career. Falling for an underage local, especially the head one, was a really good way of getting canned from the space corps and leaving the planet in a prison ship. She may have been the Princess and the sole ruler of Arus, but she was also a barely seventeen-year-old girl, with nobody her age around her to be there, as a friend. Keith had decided then to put aside his own feelings, and be that friend for her – that the whole team would be the friends that she had never had before. He had hoped that, if he repeated it to himself often enough, that it would come true and the longing in his heart would fade.

Now, over four years later, the lie he had told himself then was mocking him more frequently every day. Oh, the longing in his heart had faded, but it had not entirely left; it had just retreated into a dull ache that would flare when he least expected it.

But he had been living with his decision for so long now, that he was at a loss as to how to change it. The love that he had initially felt for her had changed as the years passed. It had grown even larger and deeper, as his admiration for her had grown.

He had watched as a smart, naïve princess had blossomed into a smart, strong, and enchanting woman. She was more than capable of becoming the queen that they had always known she would be. Her love for the team and her people showed in everything she did, and that made her all the more desirable in his eyes.

When Allura had started flying Blue, Keith knew that Coran and Nanny had been horrified that she was out there risking her life, and to be honest, it had given him a few sleepless nights as well. He had agreed to the plan, mostly because protecting Arus and the Denubian galaxy from Doom's forces was the ultimate priority of everyone involved. On a more selfish note, he had liked the idea that she was close to him and that he could protect her better if she was within his eyesight. Blue's acceptance of her had also relaxed him; the blue lion would never let her pilot come to harm, willingly. In some ways, he felt that she was safer with them than in the castle.

Keith's breath hitched again when he replayed her rant to Lance over again in his mind. She had definitely sounded distraught over the fact that he had gotten hurt today. She had also mentioned love – loving who she wanted. He moaned softly at the idea that she might have meant him.

His heart flared at the idea.

He had wanted her for so long, that he wasn't sure if he was reading more into the words than what was said. No, Lance had indicated that he got the same message out of it as well. Still, he had to be sure. Lance was right. This was the time to talk – about everything.

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><p>Keith rang the bell to Allura's chambers. "Princess?" He spoke. He rang again, after a reasonable amount of time had passed. "Allura? It's me, Keith." He said again. Not wanting to just leave, he touched the open key to her outer chambers, careful not to step in, in case she was indisposed at the moment. What he saw had him running into the room, heedless of any impropriety. Allura's outer room was dishevelled, the mirror on her vanity shattered; the pieces littering the vanity top and the floor. Keith's heart lurched when he looked at the carpet – blood drops and spatter were scattered all over the area and leading into the bathroom. Three strides into the bathroom revealed even more blood on the floor and in the sink and surrounding area.<p>

Keith ran to the bedroom and then to her balcony, scanning the area thoroughly. Allura was nowhere to be found. Cursing and fighting his rising panic, he strode over to the communicator on the wall and punched it with his thumb.

"Control room."

"Control, this is Commander Kogane. I can't find the Princess, and her room is trashed. Check to see if she's in the castle. She may be hurt. I also want verification that we tracked Lotor's ship all the way back to Doom. He better not still be on this planet." Keith's breathing had begun to increase and it felt like his heart was starting to try to climb out of his chest. There wasn't a great deal of blood, but it could have been from a cut on one of her extremities or a head wound from someone knocking her out. If somebody hadn't verified that Lotor had left, that person would pay dearly for it. Usually he checked the reports himself, but his trip to the medical wing had pre-empted that.

"Commander, this is Control. We followed Lotor's ship all the way back to Doom and he didn't stop anywhere on the planet, or anywhere else, for that matter. Princess Allura isn't responding to her comn signal. We've done a sweep and her bio signs are not registering in the castle."

"Widen the search. Check all signatures within twenty kilometres of the castle and have the satellites check any outgoing ships in the area. Put Lance and Hunk on alert, we may need lion power if the Princess is in trouble."

"Roger Commander. Oh, I've found her, sir. She's just outside the castle's perimeter. It looks like she might be in Blue Lion, sir. Do you still want me to notify the rest of the team?"

"No control. Cancel my previous orders, and stand down. I'll go verify that the Princess is there myself. Have someone come into the Princess's outer chambers and have them clean up the mess." Control signed off and Keith slid down the wall to sit on the floor beside the door. He took several deep breaths to get his heart rate under control and let the adrenaline stop flowing so forcefully in his veins.

When control had said they couldn't find her bio signs, his mind had suddenly went to the idea that they would be looking for her body. That same thought had followed him as he had gone through her rooms as well. It really wasn't a logical assumption, given what the evidence showed, but his mind had jumped to his worst possible fear, and had threatened to overwhelm him in those first few seconds. His hands still shook and he realized he was still holding the bouquet of flowers that Lance had shoved into his hand when he had been thrown out of the dining room.

He wanted to throttle Allura at the moment for not having her communicator on. He had been on the verge of a full-scale panic attack when he thought she was gone. He realized, though, that it wasn't really her fault that they hadn't been able to locate her. Blue Lion would normally relay calls to her pilot through her internal communications, but the upgrades to the lions recently had shut off that feature temporarily while the lion was on it's resting pad. Allura was probably unaware of that glitch, as he had just been made aware of it the day before. The problem would be resolved when the new Voltcoms came into operation, but that wouldn't be until next week. It had been another item for the after practice briefing that didn't get done today, courtesy of Lotor and Doom.

Keith stood up and took another deep breath. He had an overwhelming desire to get to Blue Lion and see his Princess for himself; to see that she was safe with his own eyes. He keyed the door and walked out into the hallway to castle control and the entrance to Blue Lion's tubes.

It had only taken him three minutes to get to the control room, and another fifteen to walk through the tubes to the underground platform that was Blue Lion's lair. He had decided to walk instead of taking the transport to help burn off some of his adrenaline and calm himself so he was in the right frame of mind. He stood at the entrance to the elevator and wondered if Blue would let him in if her pilot was resistant to the idea.

"Hey Blue, can I come up? I'm just worried about her." he patted the side of the elevator shaft, which were attached to the lions when they were at rest, and waited a moment. Suddenly, the door opened and a low rumble came from the lion, signalling her acceptance, or warning her pilot, he couldn't be sure. "Thanks, Blue" he whispered, as the elevator ascended, bringing him to his Princess.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N-** Thanks for all the great feedback! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. This one was the first thought I had when I started writing this fic, and I built the entire story around this idea! It's short, but I'll try to update a new chapter sooner to make up. The sequel to "Waiting for Now" in Keith's POV is finished and all probably be updated after this story is done. Thanks for your patience, and enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Voltron, just my imagination.

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><p>Keith watched the door open on the elevator and he peaked his head into the cockpit of Blue Lion, hoping he wouldn't be kicked out on his ear for coming in without Allura's permission. He found her standing near her chair, facing him but looking at the monitors and rubbing her hand absently on the control panel beside her. "Oh, Blue. You are so fired." She said, smiling ruefully at the blinking lights and the rumble that accompanied her statement. She let her hand drop from the panel, and turned her full attention to her commander.<p>

Keith just stared at her for a moment and the tension that he had been holding since he had seen her room left him in a moment. She was safe. She was healthy. He felt an overwhelming urge to grin like an idiot, in relief, but he held himself back and simply cocked his head to the side. "Can I come in?"

Allura sighed. "Of course, Commander. You are always welcome in Blue." Of course, that was true of all of the pilots of Voltron. Although each lion had bonded with their own particular pilot, they were not precious to that one pilot alone, and would welcome all the Lion pilots to fly them or work on them if the need arose.

There were teams of men and women who had overseen the upgrades to the lions for the past few months, but only members of the team had been allowed to adjust the Lions' core programs. It had been the only thing that the lions had been unbending about when it had come to the upgrades. Pidge and Hunk would have had a terrible time fixing and improving the lions if they only would allow their own pilot near them. Keith was particularly welcome, as he was Black's pilot, and the leader of the team.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Keith asked in a quiet, slightly amused voice, walking over to her and sitting down in the secondary pilot's seat.

"No, not really. I've just been sitting here, having some bonding time with Blue, thinking about how I may never be able to show my face in the castle again." She pushed some levers on her console and had the pilot's seat turn to almost one hundred and eighty degrees so that she faced the Commander, and sat down. "How is your arm?" She asked quietly, gently touching the device that circled the upper part of his lower arm.

"It itches." He complained, making a face. "Otherwise, it's okay. There is no portable device for Pidge, so he's stuck in the medical wing overnight, but he was in good spirits when I left. He had his data pad with him." He grinned at his subordinate's love of technology and his creativity.

"I'm sorry Keith. It's just one more thing that this has caused." She gestured to her face and body in a broad gesture.

Keith frowned at her in confusion. "I don't understand about that. How has_ this_ caused anything?" He gestured to her the same way that she had.

"Oh, just everyone's been calling me beautiful recently, and the compliment is really starting to get a little thin. I can't help but think that it's part of the reason that Lotor keeps attacking us; that he wants me to be the "pretty" thing in his collection. Oh I know," she held up her hand to forestall the words that Keith had opened his mouth to say, "Lotor wants Arus, and Voltron. I'm just the prize at the end of the game. Still, I can't help but feel responsible for the number of times you get hurt trying to keep me safe. It would be easier for you all if I wasn't so attractive to him."

She looked down and flushed a little at her speech. She felt a little disgusted with herself that she was complaining about something that most people desired. It was like complaining that you're body was too fit and toned. It sounded spoiled and entitled. She was at a loss as to how to express herself without it sounding like that, however.

She looked up when she heard Keith laugh at her explanation. He gazed at her fondly and grabbed her shoulder for emphasis. "Allura, you don't understand. It's never been about your looks. Lotor would still want to come after you no matter what you looked like. You could look like Haggar, and you still would be beautiful."

Keith huffed a laugh again and shook his head at her confused expression.

She really didn't see it.

"Allura, it's your personality that's attractive. Your smile lights up a room. Your enthusiasm makes everyone around you happy." He tilted his head again and his expression softened. "The way you care for others makes your people feel special and loved. Your ability to see the good in others, makes people want to be better; to not disappoint you." He gazed at her deeply and, with some trepidation, took her hand into his and squeezed it, his voice becoming husky and rough. "All that isn't your face Allura – that's you."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N-** Hi everyone! This took waaaaaay longer to post than I wanted to. I've just been slammed at work recently with extra long shifts and complicated cases. (flap curettage anyone? I'm getting pretty good at it now ;-) I'm actually posting this on my lunch hour! Anyway, only one chapter left after this one. The end is in site! Thanks for your patience, and enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Voltron, just my imagination.

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><p>"All that isn't your face Allura – that's you."<p>

Allura's eyes filled with tears at the heartfelt words. She placed her hand on top of his in silent gratitude. She wanted to speak, to tell him thank you, but her voice was lost in the moment. It was the greatest compliment she had gotten in her whole life – the kind that warmed the recesses of a doubting heart. She couldn't help but believe and trust that he meant what he said – his voice had positively rung out with his sincerity.

All her self-consciousness seemed to fall away at his beautiful speech. She loved him even more for it. The boys still did get hurt way too often for her sake, but his words did help to lessen the guilt she felt. "You have the heart of a poet, Commander, and I'm grateful. Thank you."

Allura took a ragged breath and stared once more at her protector, a real, genuine smile crossing her features as she gazed back at him with equal fondness. "I see you met the boys." She pointed to the flowers in his hand, her voice still a little rough with emotion, but getting better as she tried to lighten the mood.

"Oh… Yeah I did." Keith smiled absently, and put them down on the console. He had been staring at her all through his speech to her, and had momentarily forgotten what she had said. He blinked and tried to refocus his attention to the conversation at hand. " Lance gave it to me to give to you, maybe as a peace offering or something. I've got to say, I'm impressed. You really freaked him out something terrible. I haven't seen him that bent out of shape since our academy days."

Allura snorted her disbelief. "Yeah, I'm real terrifying. I doubt that if Hunk had assaulted him that way, he'd have been that freaked out. He'd have probably fallen down on the floor laughing. "

"If Hunk had of hit him, he'd be in the medical wing with a busted sternum." Keith laughed at her blush of embarrassment. His eyes softened as he gazed at her. "I nearly had a heart attack a few minutes ago. I went into your room to find you and it looked like a fight had occurred. There was blood on the floor. I thought you'd been taken." His voice was quiet, calm and controlled, but the fear he had felt still danced in his eyes at his admission.

Allura looked bewildered for an instant, but thinking about how her room looked objectively, Her hands flew up to her face in shock, her mouth gaping and the colour that had livened her face suddenly drained away. She realized what it would have looked like to the man, who had sworn years ago to protect her – who was always on the lookout for potential threats to her safety.

"Oh gods Keith, I am so sorry! I broke the mirror accidentally and then cut myself on a piece of glass. I was so angry and annoyed at myself I came here to use the portable tissue regen unit to heal it." She held up her hand for him to examine and wiggled her fingers to demonstrate their health. "It never occurred to me that the room looked that badly to someone just walking in. I just wanted to fix my hand in private, without everyone freaking out, and to have some girl talk with Blue." Allura smiled at Keith, trying to lighten the mood again with her joke, but her eyes displayed her depth of sadness at scaring him unnecessarily. She, of all people, knew how strong his dedication was to her person.

"Well, Blue can be a good listener, that's true." Keith's expression turned mild, and he fingered the blue and black sleeve of her new uniform with a curious expression. He was interested to know why she had put the new uniform on, but decided to let it go for the time being. "Seriously though, you can talk to me – to any of us, really. You don't have to run away from all this -" he gestured with his hand to encompass the whole castle, and by extension, all of Arus as well. "- to find someone who wants to be there for you. We all have your back, in everything." His voice got quiet and his hands went to hers again, this time without thinking about it, softly stroking the backs of her hands with his rough, calloused one, his other hand supporting them on her lap.

"I… I was worried that you were avoiding me. You didn't call me on my performance yesterday, and you weren't at breakfast this morning." She said to him in a quiet but clear voice, looking down so she could avoid any look of disappointment in his face.

"Hey," He gestured for her to look up at him and he smiled with a slightly exasperated look. "You are allowed to have bad days, every once in a while, Allura. That's why we practice so much. It should become automatic even when you are distracted. If I recall, I did bark at you to pay attention to the practice, did I not? Were you looking for a harsher dressing down? I don't get requests for those too often." He smiled at her eye roll and her slightly coloured cheeks.

"As for breakfast this morning… I got caught up in something and realized I wasn't going to get to eat breakfast and still get to practice on time, so I grabbed a survivor bar from my stash in my room and headed straight down to the control room to get ready. I just happened to be there when Lotor made his appearance, so I left immediately and had Coran scramble the team. No real mystery."

"And after the battle?"

Keith paused, considering how to explain. " I wanted to talk to you but it wasn't the best time and I wanted to speak to you alone, anyway." Keith gestured to the electronic cast, his face quirking into a smile. "Busted arm, remember? Now, it's your turn. Why did you run from the castle?" His voice was velvety and soft, expressing his concern for her.

Allura bent her head down, and watched his fingers softly caress her own, letting the surprisingly intimate contact flow through her and calm her racing heart. She inhaled a ragged breath for courage. It was now or never.

"I… I didn't retreat from the castle because of the boys. I ran over here… because of you. I am embarrassed because of my poor behaviour. I'm embarrassed because of my inexcusable performance at Lion practice yesterday. I'm embarrassed because it seems that I am responsible for you getting hurt when that shithead of a Doom prince comes waltzing over here trying to abduct me because I'd make a pretty little toy to hang on his arm."

Allura freed one of her hands from Keith's grip to wipe her eyes. She sniffed, then laughed ruefully at the mess she must seem to him. Placing her moist hand on top of his, she dared to look into his face and finish what she started.

"I'm embarrassed because I was worried that I had green eyes. That you might not find me attractive anymore; or that you'd think I was incredibly shallow for caring at all. All of these things are going through my head.

The one thing I'm not ashamed to want is your good opinion of me. I feel like I may have failed in that, many times. I want to live up to all the expectations you have – to be everything that you want and need me to be. Your opinion means a great deal to me. That's what matters. You… are all that matters." Her voice dropped to a whisper and her tears started dropping freely on to her suit as her eyes fell from his wide-eyed face and then closed to wait for his response. The words were out there now. There was no going back.

Allura felt Keith's hands disentangle from hers, and she fought not to react to the loss. She closed her eyes tightly, and clenched her hands, letting the tears fall freely down her face, praying she could hold it together long enough for him to leave the Lion so she could grieve on her own. He was embarrassed, she thought, that much was obvious. He didn't want to even touch her anymore. She didn't want to look at his face and see his pity and confusion. She just wanted him to leave and for her heart to stop being crushed in her chest from her humiliation. When he didn't get up to go, a little frustration crept into her misery. Why wouldn't he just leave?

"Allura." His voice whispered over the roaring in her ears and her own heartbreak. "Allura, please. You shouldn't be embarrassed by anything you do; certainly not for my sake. You are so brave for facing your fears and taking everyone on, in spite of your doubts. It's me who should be begging for your good opinion, not the other way around." Keith's hand once again gently covered hers.

Her body stilled at the contact, and she barely breathed, as she listened to his voice. His other hand was closed except for one finger gently caressing her face. "Allura there is something I want to show you – something I've been wanting you to see for a few days now. Please. Allura, look at me." His finger stroked her chin and gently angled her face upwards so she could look into his eyes.

His cerulean blue eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N-** Hello everyone! Thanks for sticking with this till the bitter end. It has been a joy to get all of your reactions and reviews to my little piece, and I am very grateful for the support! I have an idea for a sequel to this, but too many other things have been put on the back burner and are shoving at me to put them into a story, and it is never wise to piss off your muse! As soon as I am happy with my other stuff, I will revisit and get back to work on one of my favourite universes! Here is the last chapter, and enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Voltron, just my imagination.

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><p>Allura's eyes widened and her hand went up to his cheek without her even realizing it. She stared into his eyes for a few moments, taking in how the change in colour affected his overall features.<p>

He was beautiful.

"Keith… wh-… how… when did this happen?"

"A few nights ago. I had been noticing a blue ring around the outside of my iris and it gave me the creeps just to look at it. I looked possessed. So, I started wearing these." Keith opened his closed hand to reveal two dark brown/black contact lenses in his palm. "Then I woke up one day and my eyes had completely changed to this." He gestured to his eyes.

Allura nodded in sympathy. "I can understand how they would throw you off. They look so different."

"Actually, I thought they looked very familiar." He stared into her eyes and touched her cheek with his own hand. "They looked like yours." Allura's eyes widened in surprise then narrowed as she peered closer at them, trying to see the similarity.

"I thought that I was going crazy." He whispered, letting a reluctant smile tug at his lips. "I'd look in the mirror, and I'd see your eyes looking back at me. I'd started to wonder if I had made it happen subconsciously; I'd looked into your eyes so many times and now I got them."

Allura's heart flipped in her chest at his admission. His hand was softly rubbing her cheek and she leaned in to his touch, sighing and closing her eyes at the contact. She felt his lips lightly brush her forehead and she looked at him staring at her, their faces only breaths apart from each other.

Allura softly brought her hand off his cheek and wound it to the back of his neck giving a gentle tug to move him closer still. He responded without hesitation, his new eyes dropping to gaze at her lips for an instant before his own gently brushed against hers. His head retreated back slightly, to gage her reaction, then captured her lips with his own again, bringing his other hand to the back of her neck to pull her even closer to himself.

Keith felt a fire burn in his belly, flaring with each caress that came from Allura's soft, loving hands. At Allura's soft moan, he deepened the kiss, touching and sucking on her bottom lip, revelling in her active desire, allowing his tongue entrance to her mouth. His head was spinning in a thousand different directions, a thousand different sensations all coming at him from all different directions. All that mattered was this moment – her hair… her skin… her scent… and her soft, supple lips, melding with his own and promising to relieve him of whatever sanity he may have had. All that mattered was now. She was safe. She was here.

She was his.

Allura was lost in the moment as well. She had dreamed that this might happen a hundred times; that he might have real feelings for her that were untainted by their stations, the war or other people's expectations. She had dreamed of this, but the reality was so much better. She could not doubt his attraction for her; his kisses were too powerful… too respectful… too kind. She could feel him taking everything that she offered, but giving back to her as well, pouring his feelings – his love – into his response to her. Her hand fisted into his hair, rubbing the back of his scalp with her fingertips and eliciting a moan of passion from her normally well controlled Commander. Her desire flared at the sound and she leaned in, even closer, letting her hands run uncontrolled on his face and in his hair, desperate for him to make that sound again.

Keith's hand roamed the back of her neck, while the other one ran up and down the length of her back and arm. His lips migrated from hers, travelling to her neck and jawline. Her sigh spurred him onwards, nuzzling the back of her ear with his nose and capturing her earlobe in his mouth to nibble. He felt her shiver at the contact as his hand gently migrated from her arm to caress her collarbone and drop gently onto the soft mound of her breast. Her gasp and strangled moan almost sent him over the edge right there. He struggled to bring himself back into some semblance of control. Things were progressing too fast. He wanted this badly, but he wanted all of her even more. He slowly moved away from her neck and rested his forehead on hers, watching her heavy breathing mirror his own.

She had risked everything to tell him how she felt. He was no coward; he would risk no less for her.

"I love you." He whispered, kissing her lips quickly and pulling her into his arms to embrace her completely.

Allura abandoned her chair to sit on his lap, to let herself be enveloped by his arms. She rested her head neatly into the crook of his neck and smiled up at his gentle expression. "I love you too, my Captain. But really, no one said that you could stop kissing me." She laughed, running her hand up and down his chest, absently.

Keith adjusted her on his lap with a chuckle, her affect on him quite obvious against her bottom. "Believe me, love, if we had continued much longer, I don't think anything could have pried my lips off of you." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head lovingly.

"So, where do we go from here?" She asked quietly, watching his hand rub against the top of her thigh in a circular pattern.

Allura heard him snort a laugh as he kissed the top of her head once more.

He just couldn't seem to stop kissing her.

His heart was at peace, just having her in his arms, and he really didn't want to move from this spot. In spite of that, he set her up on her feet then got up himself and curled one hand into her own and the other around her waist. "Well, in the short term, we go find our teammates and apologize to them for both our behaviours. I should have never worn those stupid things once the Gene Change fully occurred." He gestured to the contact lenses he had abandoned on the console when his hands had been otherwise occupied.

"I wanted to show you first, but I think that my vanity is also to blame. I wasn't any more eager than you to have the men tease me about having your eyes." He smiled down at her and quickly kissed her lips again. "Besides, they bothered my eyes, and were a pain to put in. It was making me late for things. _You_ can apologize for assaulting my second in command, and scaring Hunk half out of his wits. Hopefully your room will have been cleaned up by then and we can all retire and start tomorrow fresh."

"And tomorrow?" She asked quietly, her voice laced with hope.

Keith smiled down at her tenderly. "Tomorrow, well, it's all up to you. I'm where I most want to be. Until you order me away, I'm here with you."

Allura's breath hitched at his declaration. She brought her hand up to his face and caressed his cheek once more. "Then I think you better be prepared to be here for the rest of your life. I never willingly let go of the people that I love. Wars have a way of doing that to me all on their own. I know you can't promise me forever, Keith. I won't set either of us up for that kind of broken promise or heartache. But I can promise that you will always have a home here. I'll always want you and need you. Using your own definition, you are beautiful to me too."

Keith's breath hitched, but he kept his silence and nodded solemnly. He wanted to promise her forever. He would love her that long, he was certain. She was guarding her heart, however, and he couldn't blame her. This was all brand new to her. He would just have to prove it to her every day, that he wasn't going anywhere. He would show her with his actions, the depth of his heart.

Allura had her own battles to wage with the council, starting tomorrow. Tomorrow she would start the process of taking back her crown, and having the person she wanted most beside her. The fact that he would be there for her, every day, made her heart feel light and happy. She caressed his chest as he lovingly bent to kiss her lips before leading her to the elevator, and back into their lives of service.


End file.
